A Boston neighborhood was disrupted yesterday afternoon when a large shuttle bus from Mentor Adult Day Health careened into an apartment building on Rowell Street. More than a dozen people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries following the Dorchester neighborhood crash, which occurred around 1 p.m. and involved sixteen older adults on board the vehicle.
According to WCVB, the driver of the van appeared "conscious and alert" but also "confused" and suffering from hip pain post-collision. Witnesses recall a "loud screech" before the van struck the building, with the area's tight corner highlighted as a potential factor in a the incident. The crash is still under investigation.
Resident Dylan Ibanez was directly affected by the impact, as the van tore into his first-floor apartment. "I was sitting in my office and I heard the bang," Ibanez told CBS News Boston. "I walked into just the whole room full of white smoke from the drywall." The Boston EMS confirmed that fourteen people were transported to the hospital from the scene.
Despite the dramatic scene and severe property damage, the community's response shone with neighbors and bystanders rushing to the aid of the van’s occupants. Nursing student Bayla Foley, one of the first on the scene, provided help to the bewildered driver. "I asked him and he just said he didn't know what happened," Foley recounted in a statement obtained by WCVB. Mentor Adult Day Health, the company who owns the shuttle bus, has not responded to inquiries regarding the crash at the time of reporting.
Ibanez's girlfriend, Sophie Abimerhi, arrived to find their home significantly damaged. Thankfully, their pet, often situated by the windows, was unharmed as the crash spared their usual spot. "It's shocking. I think I'm still in shock, I don't really know how to process it," Abimerhi told CBS News Boston. While the physical remnants of the crash may be repaired, its shockwaves will echo in the Dorchester community for some time.
